Automatized accounting medium



June 22,1943. 6; L. WI-IITEHEAD 2,322,673

' AAUTOMATIZED ACCOUNTING MEDIUM Filed Oct. 24, 1942 3Sheets-Sheet 1 7 0000000 0- -OOOOOO OOOOOO'OOGO0- o E Kuxlunmr LEDGER 10 (ACCOUNTS wrm cnsnrrons) D SCOUNT I mums FAYAl-E CASH CA8" DISCOUNT ACCOUNTS PM'ABLE CASH CASH DISCOUNT ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CASH CASH DISCOUNT ACCOUNTS AYABLE CASH CASH DISC-)IDNT AECOUHTS PAYR LE CASH CA5 N DISCOUNT ACCOUN S PAYABLE CASH CASH DISCOUNT PAYA LIZ DISCOUNT PAYA LE mABLE mscmm'r summaries, by transfer, from one the sheetl and connecting a point I2, on

Patented June22, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,322,878 aurom'rrzsn accorm'rmc MEDIUM George L. Whitehead, Huntingdon, Pa. Application Octobcr 24, 1942, Serial No. 463,211

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved type of sheet or leaf for record books used in general accounting, and the many special phases thereof.

The present invention aflOrds a new and novel technique in regard to the posting of individual items chronologically over predetermined periods of time, and the handling of column summaries at the conclusion of one period and the beginning of the next consecutive period, without necessitating the duplication of figures on any one period sheet or the carrying forward of period sheet to the sheet for the next period.

The object of the present invention is to provide an unique form cal medium, for practicing the aforesaid technique, by means of which data may be accumulated, distributed; segregated, and/or automatically and concurrently, as and the details are being recorded.

While the present invention is applicableto all, or substantially all, branches of accounting, and for the recording of statistics, the form of 7 when the invention hereinafter described, as a specific embodiment thereof, is directed to what is generally known as the auxiliary ledger, the purpose of which, in an accounting ensemble, is to providelseparate repositories or cmi ipartments for detailed accounts with creditors. I

' In the accompanying drawinl Fig. 115 a face view of a sheet or book leaf constructed in accordance with the principles customers and/r of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of of accounting and statistileaf book, such as marginal edge 3, with a point I3, on the mar ginal edge 5 or the sheet I.

The binding area I. is provided ity of P bounded by the line II at the top of said area.

' lower corners 2 and 2, respectively of the book make-up consisting of a plurality of sheets,

similar to the one shown in Fig. 1, with complete alternate lateral marginal areas ofsuccessive sheets removedin accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is a book make-up consisting of a plurality of series of sheets similar to the one shown in Fig. i, but showing different sub-divisions of the marginal areas, and complete marginal areas of ,succese sive sheets removed in accordance with the invention.

As shown in Pig.

ne'cting the po nts I. I, l and 2 0f the right anwle orners of the sheet.

he sheet I includes a bindingarea ll, defined bv,a line II paralleling the top edge 2;:

1. the full sheet I is bonnet ed bv miter marginal edges 2. 2. 4 and 5. conto thepoint 22 where perspective view of another form of bnundedby the line I extending parallel from the point 2| to the point 22 thereon, which are respectively spaced inwardlyfrom the marginal edges 2 and 5 of'the sheet I. 'The lower boundary of the main recording area. 2| is defined by the lower edge of the sheet I, between the points 22 and 24 spaced inw'ardb f i eat The lateral marginal edges of the main recording area 20 are defined by lines 2! and 26, to and spaced inwardly from the marginalv side the sheet I, said lines extending from the points 2| and 22', respectively, along the linev II to points 22 and- 24, respectively, along the bottom edge l of the sheet I.

At the opposite sides respectively of the main recording area 20," the sheet I is provided with lateral complementary marginal areas 22 and II respectively. The area II is bounded at its top by the line II, from the point 2I thereonto thepoint I2 attheintersectionoftheline II and edge 20! the sheet I. Along one'side, the-area 20 is bounded by the marginal edge 3 or the sheet, from the point I2 to the corner 8. Alon itsbottom,thearea2l isboimdedbythebottom edge I of the sheet, from the corner 2 thereof the right boundary line 25 intersects with the bottom Along its left side the area ll is-bounded by the line 2',- from the point 22 onthebottomedgelofthesheettothepoint 2I on'the line-II aforesaid.

The complementary area ll is similarly I, from the point I2 to the 22 to of the main area 2| edge 4 of the sheet.

point 22; by the line 22 from .the point the point 24; by to the comer I; and by the edge corner Ito the point I! aforesaid.

.T p portion 22 01' the main area 2., and the top portions Ila and a. re-

spectively, of the complem tary areas 2| and I. from the theedges 2 and 5, respectively.

the edge 4, from the point 22' 40, from the line II to a line Ila, which extends parallel to the line II from a point 3| on the right marginal edge 3 of the sheet to a point ll on the left marginal edge 5 of the sheet, and

which crosses the vertical division lines 25 and tend from the cross line Ila to a cross line Ilb,

are devoted to daily entries of the individual customers or creditor's accounts and the summaries for the period covered by' the particular sheet, respectively, in the present instance, said line llb extends parallel to and is spaced from the bottom edge of the sheet, from a point 33 on the right marginal edge 3 to a point 03 on the left marginal edge of the sheet I.

The lower portions 200, 30c and 000 of the areas 20, 30 and 40,respectively, are devoted to the sheet summaries for the-period covered by the particular sheet, the consecutive number of the sheet as it will appear in its place in the book,

i. e., the page number etc., these portions extending from the line edge 4 of the sheet I.

In the present instance the portion of the cross -line Ila of the right complementary area 30,

from the point 3I to the point 32, and that corresponding portion of the cross line I la oi the left complementary area 40, from the point 0| to the point 42, and the longitudinal lines 25 and 26, which divide the central area 20 from the complementary areas 30 and 00, from the points 32/and 42 on theline Ila to the points 23 and 24 respectively on the bottom edge 4 of the sheet, are perforated completely through the sheet I and form separating lines by which the intermediate and bottom portions 30h-30c, 40b-40c, oi the complementary areas 30 and 40 maybe selectivelyremoved from the sheet I, leaving the top portions 30a or lllaof these case may be, permanently attached to the top portion 20a of the main central area 20 of the sheet.

The removable areas 3011-300, 40b40c are subdivided by vertical lines of perforations 30, 35, and 44, 45, which extend parallel to and intermediate the lines 25 and 26 and the respectively adjacent side edges 3 and 5 of the sheet I, from points36 and 46 on the cross line Ila, to I points 31, 41 on the bottom edge 4 of the sheet, 4

whereby the removable portions 30b-30c, and 40b-40c of the side areas 30 and 40 respectively are divided into relatively separable parts 30d, 40d, 30e, 0e, and 30f, 40f respectively.

In using the sheet depicted in Fig. 1,- in 'a book such as that shown in Fig. 2, alternate pages In of the book have the removable sections Mr-00c of v the left complementary areas 40 detached from the sheets I of which these pages are formed, while theintermediate pages lb of the book have the removable sections 30b-30c of the right complementary areas 30 detached from the respective. sheets I of which these particular leaves of the book are formed.

The daily entries of the individual customers or creditors are listed in progression in the blocks'of the horizontal rows thereof, under the columns heated "Day of the month," from left to right. At the end of the working period as covered areas, as the v inated. ill; to the bottom marginal by one of the leaves I', for example the alternate sheets designated as la, la in Fig. 2, the customer's or creditor's summaries, for that working period, are postedin the intermediate portion 30b of the right complementary area 30 which has been retained, and the removable section sary to carry forward from one sheet to the next any figures whatsoever, nor is it necessary to duplicate any figures on any sheet, the summaries on the sheet for'the period preceding the current working period at all times being visible at one side of the current sheet, thus errors which commonly arise in from one sheet to another are completely elimportions 300 and lilc of the leaves lb carry the general accumulative sum- The bottom Ia and maries for the wholeperiod as gained by adding the individual items posted in the vertical columns at the bottoms of which the accumulated amounts appear as footings.

The foregoing description affords a general understanding of the basic principles upon which the present invention is predicated, with Figs. 1 and 2 serving as illustrations thereof. Fig. 3 is directed to a more specific application of the invention for keeping records of transactions with individual customers or creditors.

As shown in Fig. 1, each of the supplementary areas 30 and 40 is divided into four vertical columns with the columns in area 40 being headed Gen. Led." (general ledger), Cr. Bal." (creditor balance), Dr." (debit) and Cr. (credit) respectively and in the order named, beginning at the marginal edge 5 and ending at the, division line 26, and with the columns in the area 30 being headed Dr., I2'2r.," Cr. BalL," and Gen. Led., respectively, in the order named from the division line 25 to themarginal edge 3 of the sheet I.

The main area 20 is divided into horizontal sections which are each divided into a plurality of subdivisions which permit distributional accounts being "set up in these sections respectively as Purchases, Accounts payable, Cash," and "Cash discount," etc., on horizontal lines, instead of downwardly in the usual vertical columns, with the top horizontal space in each horizontal section reserved for the creditors names and addresses, etc. I

Any desired amount of space may be provided, at 50, between the line labeled Purchases and the line labeled "Accounts payable for itemizzontal progression, from left to right across the transferring figures sheet. At the end or the minimum working period covered by' the sheet, the summaries of the transactions for that period are posted in either the complementary area 8| or 4|, the credits being posted in the 012" column, the debits in the "Dr. column, and the balance in the "Cr. Bal." column. The other of the complementary areas 3| or III as the case may be is detached from I .the sheet.

Assuming that the summaries are posted in the area 3| in one sheet, the area 4| would be detached. On the next consecutive upper sheet the area 3| would be detached, exposing the summaries on the area 3| of the previous sheet. At

the end of the minimum period covered by the topmost sheet, the summaries of the transactions for that period are listed in the area II and the balances showing in the area ll of the next lower sheetare taken into consideration in calculating the balances at the end of the period covered by the then topmost sheet, before starting a new sheet for another consecutive minimum period. The new balance is then posted in the column headed "Cr. Bal." to be visible during the post- 'ing or the individual items on the next consecu-.

tive sheet and during the calculating of the balance at the end or the next period covered by the next consecutive sheet.

In making up thebook (Fig. 3) a plurality or groupof sheets is devoted to the letter Z, this group being superimposed on the sheet l-A. and

a subsequently superimposed group devoted to the letter A. In actual practice there would be one such group for each letter or the alphabet and in the present illustration (Fig. 3) thosc ref lating to the letters B to Y inclusive have been eliminated to avoid unnecessary duplication in the illustration.

The first, third and fifth sheets 2 have the outside portions f of the supplemental areas 4| removed while retaining the portions (1 and lte thereof. The entire supplemental areas 3| v of these sheets 2 are'removed.

. The second, fourth and sixth sheets have the outside subdivisions f removed while retain-' ing the areas lld and We. The entire supple- .mental areas .of this group of Z sheets is removed. r

The seventh sheet a of the Z group retains the outside subdivision llif of the complementary The general or'accumuiative summaries for each entry sheet are calculated and posted in the postings no mention has been made of any postings in the outside columns labeied.Gen. Led." These columns are used onlyat the end of an intermediate period, such as at the end of a area 4|, to provide for the general ledger figures for all of the sheets, for all or the creditors in the Z group, for the intermediate (monthly) P riod, while the entire complementary area 3| 01 this seventh sheet is removed.

The above arrangement is carried out for each letter of the alphabet, each month, with either the outside subdivision it! retained, as in the case of the "2 group, or with the outside subdivision 30f retained, as illustrated in the case of the A group.

Assuming the maximum period covered by book to be one year, and the intermediate .period covered by each group of sheets to be one month, and each minimum period covered by each sheet to be one week- (7 days), there would be twelve groups for'cach letter in the alphabet, and four month; or at the. end or a maximum period for the book. suchas the end of the year; or at the end 01' a group of pages devoted to creditor's accounts whose names begin with the same letter of the alphabet, with one group for A," on for B, and so on throughout the whole alphabet.

Each letter of the alphabet may be broken down into subdivisions, if desired. such as As to Ac, A1!" to Ai,"I etc., with the outside area 30! or "I of the complementary area 30 or ll of the appropriate sheets left in place .and carrying the data for the particular alphabetical range of the group, for the intermediate monthly period, or for the maximum yearly period, as the case may be.

At the end of the maximum period covered by any single book, such as a year, the topmost sheet on which the generalaccumulative summaries for the whole year appear, is used as the first sheet or a new book for the next period. This may be the original last sheet of the old book or a carbon copythereof which at the beginning of a new year will clearly indicate the condition of the account of each customer or creditor and the condition of the accounts as a whole as a basis for beginning the accounts of the individuals for the next period. I

Fig. 3 illustrates the sheet (original or carbon) completed at the closing of one maximum period employed at the bottom or beginning of the book for the next consecutive period, this base sheet being designated as l-A, it being the top sheet of the group devoted to creditors whose names begin with the letter A. a

or live sheets in each group, one for each week (4 week, 28 day month) and an extra one for the part week (29, 30 or 31 day month).

The top sheet of the A group would carry the yearly totals, balances, etc., for the entire maximum period, to be used as the basis for starting a book for the next maximum period, as the sheet iA in Fig. 3.

Obviously, the reverse order could be used, i. e.,

I the alphabet could be used with A at the bottom .and Z at the top, in which case the topmost sheet oi the topmost Z group would function as the final summary sheet for the maximum period to form the basis for the book of the next maximum period.

A book may be made up of any desired number of full page sheets i prior to the beginning of use thereof, or the pages may be inserted one after another at the beginning of each working period.

' In any event, the entries must be made first on what normally would constitute the last page of the book, and are devoted to the earliest period covered by the book. The entries for subsequent periods are made-on the next upper leaves con- 1 secutively..

Whether the book is made up completely at the I start, or made up periodically by adding a pages'heet at the beginningof each working period. the removal of the section of the sheet which is to serve as thecurrent page at the beginning of a working period is preferably not effecteduntil the start of the period, thus the accountant is always assured of having available the proper complementary area 30 or 40, as the case may be, for the summaries of the current period, and is also assured that the complementary area show- 'ferred until the end of a working period.

' as described above, results in an ability to keep thedetails of recorded data covered, while exposing their extended summaries, at will. This is made possible by changing the direction of chronological insertion of entries from the common vertical progression, 1. e., down a column, from top to bottom of a page, or sheet to a horizontal progression from one lateral extremity of the recording area of a page or sheet to the opposite lateral extremity thereof; (left to right) with the summaries extended to the sides of the sheets in a reciprocative horizontal progression, i. e., from right to left on one page and from left to right on the next page, and so on throughout the book, whereby the accumulation of data on each page is always visible for carrying-on, on the next page, without necessitating any transfer or duplication of figures on any P ge or from one page to another.

By use of the present invention, another change in the chronological succession of entry is effected, i. e., the data is always recorded and accumulated with the items of the earliest period covered by a volume on the lowest or normally last page thereof, and the items of the latest current period on the topmost leaf of the volume, insuring that the most recent information being compiled for management shall always be presented first to the eye of the person inspecting the record.

The use of the present invention affords s ill further advantages and saving of time over the conventional methods of accounting and recording of data. Accounts, or other compartmental equivalents may function continuously and con-- currently from sheet to sheet along horizontal channels, by which the focal points for assembling related data need no longer be completely isolated one from another, and a number of these may function together on the same sheet. with greater accounting efilciency than could be accomplished when each is isolated from the others,

thus making real effective control possible over Receivables, Payables, and/or other details, by providing for complete and unassailable verification up to the point where each consecutive sheet is found to reconcile up tothat point, making it impossible for obscure errors to delay verification until such errors are found and corrected, as is the case where verificationmust be de- The foregoing makes possible the ability to have at ones finger tips the completely verified fopen balances of all accounts or equivalents currently existing at any time, in a static exhibitsuch as is now available only by taking on existing balances and transferring them to a schedule, which, having been deferred until a closing period range it in the exact niches in which it must be placed when it becomes a part of any final result, however that result is arrived at. This results in saving of time, eliminates lost motion, 1

unnecessary efl'ort and delay represented by duplications of all kinds from the ubiquitous subtotal to the posting required to carry forward data from one medium to another.

While but one application of the principles of the present invention has been set forth herein, it is obvious that these principles may be applied to other forms and systems of keeping records of various kinds, with the full page-sheets modified as to data areas, location of removable sections, distribution of the lines of perforations affording removal of various sections of the sheet, etc., without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A recording sheet adapted to be bound with others of its kind in superposed succession with the marginal side top and bottom edges of the sheets substantially flush, said sheet comprising an appropriately designated main vertical central area, and an appropriately designated complementary vertical area at each of the opposite sides of said central area, predetermined sections an appropriately designated main vertical cen tral area, and an appropriately designated complementary vertical area at each of the opposite .sides of said central area, predetermined sections of each of said complementary areas being selectively detachable from the remainder of the sheet by tearing along vertical lines ofperforations extending parallel to the marginal side edges of said sheet and along transverse lines of perforations disposed parallel to and spaced downwardly from the top marginal edge of said sheet andextending inwardly from said marginal edges across said complementary areas, said vertical and transverse lines of perforations defining the lateral and vertical extents of said detachable sections respectively.

3. A recording sheet adapted to be bound with others of its kind in superposed succession, with may not reconcile with its'control after it has been summarized.

The method aflorded by the present invention makes it feasible and scientific to make initial routine entries pertaining to purchases and sales direct to a customer's or creditor's ledger or equivalent instead of first recording such items in a so called medium of original entry, in which such items are distributionally segregated and from which they must be posted into the media from which the final results are to be extracted.

Adoption of the presentinvention'brings into being a medium in which automatic distribution of the components of an entry is provided for as the lateral and transverse edges of said sheets substantially flush, said sheet comprising anappropriately designated main vertical central area and an appropriately designated complementary vertical area at each of'the opposite sides of said central area, and with major portions of each of said complementary areas upwardly from the bottom marginal edge of said sheet being detachreceived, and in which chronological succession n able from the remainder of the sheet by tearing along vertical lines of perforations paralleling the lateral marginal edges of the sheet, and by tearing along transverse lines of perforationsdisposed parallel to and spaced downwardly from the top marginal edge of said sheet and extending inwardly from said lateral edges of: said sheet to the lateral edges of said main central area,

asaao'za leaving upper portions ofsaid complementary areas intactand integral with saidcentral area.

4. A recording sheet adapted to be bound with others of its kind in superposed succession, with the lateral and transverse edges of said sheets substantially flush, said sheet comprising an apand by tearing along transverse lines of perfora-- propriately designated main vertical central area,

and an appropriately designated complementary vertical area at each of the opposite sides of said central area, and with major portions of said complementary areas upwardly from the bottom marginal edge of said sheet being detachable as a whole or selectively as vertical sub-portions thereof from the remainder of the sheet by tearing along vertical ing the lateral marginal edges of the sheet, and by tearing along transverse lines of perforations disposed parallel to and spaced downwardly from the top marginal edge of said sheet and extending inwardly from said lateral edges of said sheet to the lateral edges of said main central area, leaving upper portions of said complementary areas intact and integral with said central area.

5. A recording sheet adapted to be bound with others of its kind in superposed succession, with the lateral and transverse edges of said sheets substantially flush, said sheet comprising an appropriately designated transversely extending binding area adjacent and "paralleling the top marginal edge of the sheet from side to side thereof, an appropriately designated main v vertical central area below said binding area, and an appropriately designated complementary vertical area at each of the opposite sides of said central area below said binding area, with major portions of.said. complementary areas upwardly from the bottommarginal edge of said sheet being detachable as a whole or selectively as vertical sub-porthereof mm the remainder. of the sheet by lines of perforations paralleltearing along vertical lines of perforations par alieling the lateral marginal edges of the sheet,

tions disposed parallel to and spaced downwardly from the top marginal edge. of said sheet and I extending inwardly from said lateral edges of said sheet to the lateral edgesof said main central area, leaving upper portions of said complementary areas intact and integral with said central area.

6. A recording sheet adapted to be bound with others of its kind in superposed succession, with the lateral and transverse edges of said sheets substantially flush, said sheet comprising an 'appropriately designated main vertical central area provided with horizontal rows of data receiving spaces, and an appropriately designated complemined portions of tal rows of data receiving spaces as ,said lateral edges mentary vertical area at each of the opposite sides of said central area provided with horizonlateral extensions of said main area rows respectively, with major portions of said complementary areas upwardly from the bottom marginal edge'of said sheet being detachable asa whole or selectively as vertical sub-portions thereof from the remainder of the sheet by tearing along vertical lines of perforations paralleling the lateral marginal edges of the sheet, and by tearing along transverse lines of perforations disposed parallel to and spaced downwardly from the top marginal edgeof said sheet and extending inwardly from of said sheet to the lateral edges of said main central area, leaving upper portions of said complementary areas intact and integral with said central area whereby predeterthe horizontal rows of data spaces in said complementary areas may be removed selectively. v

GEORGE L. 

